If you live in a condominium or townhome in Minnesota, you are likely part of a homeowners’ association. Homeowners’ associations help protect the investments of the members and community by establishing and enforcing rules and regulations. They also make sure that the shared areas are maintained and upgraded as needed. Members pay a fee to ensure these tasks are carried…
Homeowner associations often need to enter contracts to undertake construction work or other improvements that will affect all members of a homeowner association. Unfortunately, sometimes contracts are approved without careful review and contractors who are unqualified or unlicensed are hired. Associations should carefully review all contracts they intend to enter, giving it the same amount of exceptional care that would…
When a declarant, developer, general contractor, or subcontractor works on a property, they are required to do their work correctly. This means following building codes and product manufacturer’s instructions, and using the skill and care one would expect a reasonably prudent builder to use. Errors and resulting damages arising from improper work must be properly repaired. If a builder refuses…
The Minnesota Common Interest Ownership Act (Minnesota Statute § 515B), commonly referred to as MCIOA, is a Minnesota state law that governs the operation of condominium associations and other common interest communities. MCIOA provides legal authority to address issues that frequently affect common interest communities. MCIOA applies to all townhome associations and condominium associations created after June 1, 1994 and…
A “common-interest community” is one in which you buy an individual unit but have access to shared facilities. They include condominiums, townhomes, coops, and other housing developments comprised of individually owned units, in addition to shared facilities and common areas. In a common-interest community, you pay an annual assessment to cover the upkeep of the shared facilities and common areas.…
Enforcing covenants and conditions can be the biggest nightmare for an HOA board, especially once the break-even point has been reached and the developer is no longer involved. The HOA then has to make a series of decisions about when and why to enforce covenants-CC&R’s-and sometimes when not to. Everyone has read horror stories on the Internet about HOAs enforcing…
If you’ve been elected the treasurer of your homeowner association, then you need to be aware of all of the responsibilities that fall on that position. In this post, we’ll discuss what the role of homeowner association treasurer requires of you and provide some tips on how to do the job effectively. ASSOCIATION REQUIREMENTS The first thing you should do…
SJJ notched a victory at the Minnesota Supreme Court in Cedar Bluff Townhome Condominium Association, Inc. v. American Family Mutual Insurance Company, a landmark insurance coverage case concerning an insurance policyholder’s right to have their property repaired with matching building products. Attorneys Curt Roeder and Anthony T. Smith represented Cedar Bluff Townhome Condominium Association, a 20-building townhome association that made…
